An illegal car breaker and exporter has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,996 for operating a site without an environmental permit.
Adel Elkabir began operating the site without the permit, despite being advised he needed one by the Environment Agency.
The court heard that the permit requires pollutants such as batteries, engine and gear box oils to be removed from vehicles prior to dismantling in accordance with the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Adel Elkabir admitted running the business illegally at First Drove in Fengate, Peterborough where vehicles were stored, treated and some parts exported to Egypt.
He claimed he had taken them somewhere else to be depolluted, but a thorough inspection of vehicles stored at the site revealed that no depollution had taken place.
Environment Agency officer Adam Shamma said: “It was clear that significant amounts of waste had been brought onto the site, dismantled, stored and sorted.
“When a business operates without a permit, it puts the environment at risk. It is also able to unfairly undercut legal competitors.”
